Repair Prone Ranges 11/4/12

Published On: Nov 02 2012 10:30:29 PM CDT

Repairman Vinnie Giordano says ranges always seem to stop working just when you're about to cook a big dinner. Vinnie Giordano "People call in a panic because their stove's been broken. They want to get it fixed as quickly as possible." Consumer Reports' survey covering more than 67-thousand gas and electric ranges bought in the last five years finds big differences in reliability. For instance, popular brands like KitchenAid and Jenn-Air were among the most repair-prone. "We do this survey every year, and while we don't have repair histories of individual models, we've found you're much less likely to need repairs if you buy from a brand with a good record of reliability." The most reliable electric ranges: Hotpoint, General Electric, and Whirlpool. And if you're in the market for a gas range, among the most reliable have been Hotpoint, GE, and Kenmore. What about pro-style ranges that can cost thousands? Consumer Reports surveyed more than 500 of its readers who own one. Celia Lehrman, "The repair-rate is significantly higher for these expensive ranges. Of those bought in the last five years, more than a third needed to be repaired. And nine percent of them needed to be repaired three times or more." That means you'll have less chance of needing Vinnie if you skip a pro range and get a regular stove from one of the more reliable brands. ."

Copyright 2012 by WKBT News8000. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.